RADIOLOGICTECHNOLOGY

Perez1

RadiologicTechnology
GisellePerez
LeeHighSchool
April18,2016

RADIOLOGICTECHNOLOGY

Perez2

GisellePerez
Mr.Foote
SeniorCapstone
April18,2016
RadiologicTechnology
Theanguishandpainthatcomesalongwithadiseaseoraninjuryarefeelingsthatpeople
refusetowillinglyexperience.ARadiologicTechnologististheinitialandmostimportantstep
toanunexpecteddiseaseand/orinjury.Theyarethefirstresponderswhenitcomestothe
healingprocess.Technologistsusepresentdaytechnologythathelpsthemunderstandthedegree
ofadiseaseorinjury,thesemachinesaretremendousassetstocivilizationbecausetheyare
capableofsavinglivesbyprovidingimagestotechnologists.Itiscrucialthattheworld
possessespeoplethatarecapableofoperatingthesemachinesbecausetheyareextremely
complexandcomplicated.Itisalsoverychallengingtobeabletoreadtheimagesbeingthatthey
arenotwhatapersonwouldpreciselyseeiftheyweretolookinsideabody,however,the
imagesshowtheexactanatomy,allinblackandwhite.Mostpeopleconsidertechnologya
corruptiontotheworldandthatithaschangedthewayhumansliveinanegativeway.However,
radiologictechnologyisthecompleteopposite.Ifhumanscontinuetouseitandupdateits
abilities,ourhealthandsafetywillbealoteasiertoenhanceforfuturegenerations.
Radiologic
technologyenhancestheworldbyallowingpeopletoseeinsidethehumanbodywithout
havingtocutsomeoneopen,tohelpdetectdiseasesthatcannotbeseenwiththenakedeye,
andtohelpphysiciansconcludethecareandtreatmentapatientneedstocontinuetoleada
healthylife.

RADIOLOGICTECHNOLOGY

Perez3

Basicradiologymachinesusedtodayarexray,ultrasonography,magneticresonance
imaging,CATscan,PETscan,andCTscanmachines.Anxraymachinecanshowtechnologists
anyabnormalitiesinsidethebody,suchasapennyinsideasmallgirlsesophagus,aswellasany
bonefractures.Xraysarethemostcommonlyusedradiologicimagessimplybecauseofthecost
efficiencyandbecausebonefracturesarecommon,peoplecaneasilyfindwhatthey'relooking
for(suchasanail)insidethebodybecausetheobjectwilllookcompletelydifferentfromthe
bones.AnMRImachinedemonstratesimagesofabody'sjoints,softtissuesandmuscles.This
machinehastheabilitytodetectnormalandabnormalcharacteristicsinthetissue.Cancercanbe
discoveredwiththismachine,historyitselfprovesthatthismachineisnecessarytoday.Years
beforeanMRImachinewasinvented,manypeoplediedfromundiscovereddiseases,sinceits
inventionandformanyyearstocome,humanshavetheabilitytounderstandwhyalovedoneis
closetotheirdeath.Likemanyotherconcepts,therearedisadvantagestothismachine,including
costanddifficultoperation.Nonetheless,advantagesexceedthedisadvantages.Thesignificant
patientexposuretoionizingradiationassociatedwithtraditionalXrayguidedInterventional
proceduresiseliminatedwithMRIguidance("PatentIssuedforMethodofCalibrating
CombinedFieldLocationandMRITracking").Withoutmachineslikethese,manypeoplewould
havedifficultyunderstandingwhyothershavepassed,whichwouldalsomakeitimpossibleto
findcures.Itwouldbeextremelydifficultforaphysiciantoremoveapennyfromagirls
esophaguswithoutxrays,whichwouldleadtoundesirableresults.
RadiologicTechnologyiscapableofassistingusinmakingnewfindings.Ithas
improvedoverthepastfewyearsandwillcontinuetomodernize.AccordingtoPratikDesaiand
PatelDhaval,inarecentstudy,theyfoundthatthemostcommonlocation[ofmeningioma]is

RADIOLOGICTECHNOLOGY

Perez4

theintracranialin44cases(88%),maletofemaleratiois1:2.12,commonageformeningiomais
3150years,themostcommonsiteinintracranialistheconvexityofthebrainin31cases
(70.46%),andthemostcommonsymptomisheadache.Withincreasedstudiesandtestswecan
findcuresfordiseaseswecan'tseemtoprevent.Cancerhasbeenadiseasethathaskilled
thousandsofpeopleformanyyears,wehaveyettofindacurethatworkswithallpatientsand
thatwillpreventitfromcontinuingtoharmthem.Radiologictechnologyhasthepotentialand
willeventuallyaidhumansinthediscoveryofthiscure.Thesemachinesarealsoanimmense
assistinthesufficiencyofreadingsRTsmake,theimagesproducedbydirectradiologyarean
incrediblybetterqualitythanwhatwasproducedwhenRadiologistsusedmanualfilms/screens,
patientradiationisalsoreduced(Rubert&Sleeper).
Radiologyhasidentifieddiseases/injuriesandhashelpedphysiciansappointtheleading
treatmentthatwillsteerapatienttohealthformanyyears.Dealingwithbothamachineanda
patientcorrectlyisveryimportant,Thecombinationofhightechequipmentanddirect
interactionwithpatientsmeansthatacareerasaradiologictechnologistintegratesachallenging
workenvironmentwiththeopportunitytoprovidecompassionatecaretopatients(Institutefor
Career,Research).Aftertheinitialexamshavebeenperformed,usingthemachines,aradiologist
takestheresultsandexplainsthemwithdetailtothepatient'sphysician.Inthearticle,CATScan
(CT)Spine,itsaysthatAradiologistwithexpertiseinsupervisingandinterpretingradiology
examinationswillanalyzetheimagesandsendanofficialreporttoyourprimarycarephysician
orphysicianwhoreferredyoufortheexam,whowilldiscusstheresultswithyou.Afterthe
physicianandtheradiologistconsult,itisuptothephysiciantocomeupwithatreatmentplan,
usingtheinformationthatwasprovidedbytheradiologictechnologist.Radiologictechnologist

RADIOLOGICTECHNOLOGY

Perez5

sometimeassistintheoperationroom,theyareconsideredanessentialpartofthehealthcare
team(Lehrer).Atechnologistmightcomebacktothepictureifafollowupexamisneeded,
sometimesabnormalitiesappearonapatient'streatmentandsymptoms.Thefollowupexams
canalsobeusedtocheckwhetherornotatreatmentisworking.
Allcareerswithinthemedicalfieldareverycomplexanddifficult,however,thousands
ofpeoplehavedecidedthattheyearsofeducationandpracticearecompletelyworththeeffort.
Radiologictechnologyisavitalpartofthemedicalfield,withoutit,physiciansandpatients
wouldhavenoalternatewayofunderstandingandresolvingmedicalcomplicationsandwould
facemorefatalities.Alloftheimagingandexaminationsproducedbyradiologyisanasset,itis
alsoastonishingtoseewithinthehumanbodyusingadvancedtechnologythatworksfastandat
veryhighquality.

RADIOLOGICTECHNOLOGY

Perez6

WorksCited
"CATScan(CT)Spine."
RadiologyInfo.orgForPatients
.2015.Web.28Mar.2016.
Desai,PratikB.,andDhavalPatel."Astudyofmeningiomainrelationtoage,sex,site,
symptoms,andcomputerizedtomographyscanfeatures."
InternationalJournalof
MedicalScienceandPublicHealth
5.2(2016):331+.
HealthReferenceCenter
Academic
.Web.28Mar.2016.
InstituteforCareer,Research.
CareerAsARadiologicTechnologist:ThirdLargestGroupOf
HealthcareProfessionals(FollowingPhysiciansAndNurses)
.[Chicago]:Institutefor
CareerResearch,2010.
eBookCollection(EBSCOhost)
.Web.18Apr.2016.
Lehrer,Rich,perf.
RadiologicTechnologyasaCareer
.2016.2011.Web.18Apr.2016.
"PatentIssuedforMethodofCalibratingCombinedFieldLocationandMRITracking(USPTO
9265442)."
Obesity,Fitness&WellnessWeek
12Mar.2016:5864.
HealthReference
CenterAcademic
.Web.27Mar.2016.
Rudert,LoriO.Personalinterview.31Mar.2016.
Sleeper,DanielA.Personalinterview.5Apr.2016.